Hinge and locking device

ABSTRACT

An apparatus or device for securing a deck panel including: at least one hinge assembly coupled to the wall and the deck panel, the at least one hinge assembly configured to allow movement between a stored position and a work position of the deck panel; and a locking device coupled to the deck panel, the locking device having a hook configured to rotate out and engage a securing mechanism on the wall when the deck panel is moved from the work position to the stored position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/742,417, filed Jun. 17, 2015, entitled “Hingeand Locking Device,” which claimed priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/161,084, filed May 13, 2015, entitled “Hinge andLocking Device.” The disclosures of the above-referenced applicationsare incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hinge and locking device, and morespecifically, to a hinge and locking device for securing a deck panelused in a cargo section of a trailer to the side of the cargo section.

Background

A trailer may include a deck system in its cargo section. The decksystem may include one of more deck panels including a conveyer deckpanel. Each of the deck panels can be moved to a work position or storedposition.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes a hinge and locking device for securing adeck panel used in a cargo section of a trailer to the side of the cargosection.

In one implementation, an apparatus for securing a deck panel isdisclosed. The apparatus includes: at least one hinge assembly coupledto the wall and the deck panel, the at least one hinge assemblyconfigured to allow movement between a stored position and a workposition of the deck panel; and a locking device coupled to the deckpanel, the locking device having a hook configured to rotate out andengage a securing mechanism on the wall when the deck panel is movedfrom the work position to the stored position.

In another implementation, a device to secure a deck panel to a surfaceis disclosed. The device includes: a plurality of hinges coupled to thedeck panel and configured to allow movement of the deck panel between astored position and a work position; and a locking mechanism includingan extension arm and a hook coupled to the deck panel, the extension armconfigured to move the hook to engage to or disengage from the surfacewhen the deck panel is moved between the work position and the storedposition.

Other features and advantages of the present invention should beapparent from the present description which illustrates, by way ofexample, aspects of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details of the present invention, both as to its structure andoperation, may be gleaned in part by study of the appended furtherdrawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a cut-away view of the cargo section of a trailer including adeck system in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A shows the deck panels in a work position in accordance with oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B shows the deck panels in a stored position in accordance withone embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a bottom perspective view of a deck panel in a work positionin accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the deck panel in a work position inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3C is a side view of the deck panel in a stored position inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4A is a side perspective view of a deck panel and a pair ofattached hinge assemblies;

FIG. 4B is a detailed side perspective view of the attachment of thehinge assembly to the deck pane;

FIG. 4C is a detailed side view of the attachment of the hinge assemblyto the deck panel;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a hinge assembly in accordance with oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6A is a side view of the deck panel positioned in a stored positionin accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a side view of the deck panel positioned in between thestored position and the work position;

FIG. 6C is a side view of the deck panel positioned in a work positionin accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6D is a full side view of the deck panel positioned in a workposition in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6E is a full side view of the deck panel positioned in a workposition in accordance with another embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7A is bottom views of a deck panel with a locking device disposedin the bottom part in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7B is bottom views of a deck panel with a locking device disposedin the bottom part in accordance with another embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 8A is a side perspective view of a hook fully engaged to hook ontoa hook holder in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 8B is a side view of a deck panel in a stored position inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8C is a side perspective view of the hook being released from thehook holder in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9A is another view of a locking device including a hook engaging ahook holder in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure;and

FIG. 9B is a front perspective view of a deck panel with a hookprotruding out of the flat surface of the deck panel and engaging a hookholder in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As stated above, a deck panel in the cargo section of a trailer, forexample, can be moved to a work position or stored position. However,when the deck panel is moved to a stored position, it can fall off thestored position and cause injury or damage the cargo, unless the deckpanel is securely locked. Thus, several embodiments of a secure hingeand locking device for the deck panel in a stored position are proposedin the present application. In one embodiment, a hook in the deck panelis configured to rotate out as the deck panel is moved into the storedposition and hook into a hook holder attached to the side wall of theinterior of the cargo section.

After reading this description it will become apparent how to implementthe invention in various implementations and applications. However,although various implementations of the present invention will bedescribed herein, it is understood that these implementations arepresented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, thisdetailed description of various implementations should not be construedto limit the scope or breadth of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a cut-away view of the cargo section 150 of a trailerincluding a deck system 100 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. The deck system 100 includes at least one deck panel110 and a conveyor panel 120. Although the deck panels 110 are shown onthe left side of the cargo section only, the deck panels can also beconfigured on the right side as well. The deck panels 110 are configuredto provide an additional surface on which the cargo can be stowed. Theconveyor panel 120 includes rollers to easily move the cargo in and outof the cargo section 150.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the deck system 100 alsoincludes a side rail 112 coupled to the inner surface 114 of the cargosection 150. The deck panels 110 are coupled to the side rail 112 andcan be moved between the work position and the stored position. Inanother embodiment, the deck panels 110 can be coupled to the innersurface 114 (or the wall) directly. The deck panels 110 can be movedbetween the work position and the stored position individually or incombination. The deck system 100 further includes at least one verticalpost 130 coupled to the inner surface 114 of the cargo section 150. Inone embodiment, each of the deck panels 110 includes a hook (e.g.,element 800 in FIG. 8A) which protrudes out and hooks onto a hook holder(e.g., element 802 in FIG. 8A) configured on each of the vertical posts130, when the deck panel is moved from a work position to a storedposition.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show the deck panels in a work position 200 and astored position 210, respectively, in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present disclosure. When the deck panels are in a work position 200,the deck panels provide an additional surface on which the cargo can beplaced and/or moved in and out of the cargo section. When the deckpanels are in a stored position, the cargo section can be configureddifferently to store the cargo differently or keep the cargo sectionempty.

FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3C show various views of a deck panel indifferent positions. For example, FIG. 3A is a bottom perspective viewof a deck panel 300 in a work position in accordance with one embodimentof the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the deck panel 300 isattached to the side rail 310 using a pair of hinge assemblies 320, 322.FIG. 3B is a side view of the deck panel 300 in a work position inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this view,the deck panel 300 is attached to the side rail 310 with a hingeassembly 320 or 322. FIG. 3C is a side view of the deck panel 300 in astored position in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. Again, the deck panel 300 is attached to the side rail 310with a hinge assembly 320 or 322. Although a pair of hinge assemblies320, 322 is used in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3A, one or morehinge assemblies can be used to perform the same function.

FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C show detailed views of the deck panel andthe attached hinge assemblies in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 4A is a side perspective view of a deck panel400 and a pair of attached hinge assemblies 410, 412. FIG. 4B is adetailed side perspective view of the attachment of the hinge assembly412 to the deck panel 400. FIG. 4C is a detailed side view of theattachment of the hinge assembly 412 to the deck panel 400. Although apair of hinge assemblies 410, 412 is used in the illustrated embodimentof FIG. 4A, one or more hinge assemblies can be used to perform the samefunction.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a hinge assembly 500 in accordance withone embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodimentof FIG. 5, the hinge assembly 500 includes a hinge strap 510, a pin 520,a pair of bearings 530, 532, and a hinge butt 540. Although a pair ofbearings 530, 532 is used in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5, oneor more bearings can be used to perform the same function. The hingestrap 510 includes a plurality of holes 512 for accepting screws (e.g.,screws 414 in FIG. 4C) to attach the hinge strap 510 to the deck panel(e.g., deck panel 400 in FIG. 4C). The hinge strap 510 also includes anopening 514 through which the pin 520 and the bearings 530, 532 areinserted. The hinge butt 540 includes a plurality of holes 542 foraccepting screws (e.g., screws 324 in FIG. 3B) to attach the hinge strap510 to the side rail (e.g., side rail 310 in FIG. 3B). The hinge butt540 also includes a pair of hinge butt holes 544, 546 which secures theboth ends of the pin 520. Thus, in one embodiment, the hinge assembly500 is assembled by: attaching the hinge butt 540 to the side rail(e.g., side rail 310 in FIG. 3B) using a plurality of screws (e.g.,screws 324 in FIG. 3B); inserting the bearings 530, 532 into the opening514 in the hinge strap 510; aligning the opening 514 of the hinge strap510 between the pair of hinge butt holes 544, 546; inserting the pin 520through the hinge butt holes 544, 546 and the bearings 530, 532positioned in the opening 514; inserting the hinge strap 510 into thedeck panel (e.g., deck panel 400 in FIG. 4C); and attaching the deckpanel to the hinge strap 510 using a plurality of screws (e.g., screws414 in FIG. 4C).

In one embodiment, the hinge butt 540 is made of ⅛″ zinc-plated hightensile steel, while the pin 520 is made of stainless steel and the twobearings 530, 532 are made of Molybdenum-Disulfide-filled (MDS-filled)nylon. In this embodiment, the pin 520 is fixedly secured on both endsin the hinge butt holes 544, 546 to prevent the pin 520 from rotating.However, the hinge strap 510 rotates freely with the two bearings 530,532. The bearings 530, 532 are configured to have a high bearingcapacity so that they do not need to be lubricated. If the hingeassembly 500 is damaged, the entire assembly can be easily replaced byunscrewing the two set of screws from the deck panel and the side rail.

FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, and FIG. 6D show the movement of a lockingdevice 600 as the deck panel 610 is moved between the stored positionand the work position. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG.6D, the locking device 600 includes, among other elements, an extensionarm 620 and a hook 630. In one embodiment, the extension arm 620includes a lock handle 622 which is used to manually retract the hook630 and release the deck panel 610 from the stored position.

FIG. 6A is a side view of the deck panel 610 positioned in a storedposition in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 6B is a side view of the deck panel 610 positioned in between thestored position and the work position. In this position, the curved end624 of the extension arm 620 contacts the contact point 614 of the siderail 612. This contact action pushes 626 the extension arm 620 furtherinto the bottom part of the deck panel 610. FIG. 6C is a side view ofthe deck panel 610 positioned in a work position in accordance with oneembodiment of the present disclosure. In this position, the contactpoint 614 of the extension arm 620 and the side rail 612 has moved. FIG.6D is a full side view of the deck panel 610 positioned in a workposition in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.The embodiment of FIG. 6D illustrates the full view of the extension arm620 being pushed further into the bottom part of the deck panel 610,which causes the hook 630 to retract 628 into the deck panel 610.

A reverse movement of the deck panel 610 from the work position (shownin FIG. 6D) to the stored position (shown in FIG. 6A) can be stated inreverse from the above-listed sequence. For example, starting at thework position of the deck panel 610 shown in FIG. 6E, as the deck panel610 is raised, the extension arm 620 is pushed in a direction 636 out ofthe bottom part of the deck panel 610. As shown in FIG. 6E, a spring 632coupled to an attachment 640 between the extension arm 620 and the hook630 causes the attachment 640 to move in the same direction 634 as thedirection 636 of the extension arm 620. This movement of the attachment640 pulls the hook 630 out of the bottom part of the deck panel 610 in adirection 638 that is opposite of the direction 628 shown in FIG. 6D.Thus, when the deck panel 610 is fully raised into the stored position(e.g., as shown in FIG. 6A), the hook 630 is fully deployed and ishooked onto a hook holder (e.g., element 802 in FIG. 8A).

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are bottom views of a deck panel 710 with a lockingdevice 700 disposed in the bottom part in accordance with one embodimentof the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 7A, the locking device 700includes, among other elements, a hook 702 and an extension arm 704. Inthe stored position shown in FIG. 7A, the hook 702 is fully deployed toengage the hook holder on the other side, while the curved end 706extends out. When the deck panel 710 is in a stored position as shown inFIG. 7A, the deck panel 710 can be lowered into a work position byraising a lock handle 720 in an up direction 722 to release the hook 702from the hook holder. This action retracts the hook 702 into the bottompart of the deck panel 710.

FIG. 8A is a side perspective view of a hook 800 fully engaged to hookonto a hook holder 802 in accordance with one embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 8B is a side view of a deck panel 810 in a storedposition in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.Again, the deck panel 810 can be lowered into a work position by raisinga lock handle 820 in an up direction 822 to release the hook 800 fromthe hook holder 802. FIG. 8C is a side perspective view of the hook 800being released from the hook holder 802 in accordance with oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9A is another view of a locking device 920 including a hook 900engaging a hook holder 902 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 9B is a front perspective view of a deck panel910 with a hook 940 protruding out of the flat surface of the deck panel910 and engaging a hook holder 942 in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present disclosure. The illustrated embodiment of the FIG. 9B showsthe deck panel 910 with respect to the side rail 932 and the verticalposts 930.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Variousmodifications to these implementations will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can beapplied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention. For example, while the above-described embodimentsfocus on a hook which engages a hook holder to secure the deck panel ina stored position, the deck panel can be secured in the stored positionusing any locking device such as a clamp or ring that can lock onto aholder configured on the side wall of the cargo section. Thus, it is tobe understood that the description and drawings presented hereinrepresent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and aretherefore representative of the subject matter that is broadlycontemplated by the present invention. It is further understood that thescope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments thatmay become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of thepresent invention is accordingly limited by nothing other than theappended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for securing a deck panel, theapparatus comprising: at least one hinge assembly coupled to the walland the deck panel, the at least one hinge assembly configured to allowmovement between a stored position and a work position of the deckpanel; and a locking device coupled to the deck panel, the lockingdevice having a hook configured to rotate out and engage a securingmechanism on the wall when the deck panel is moved from the workposition to the stored position.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe locking device includes a release mechanism to release the lockingdevice from the securing mechanism when the deck panel is to be movedfrom the stored position to the work position.
 3. The apparatus of claim1, wherein each of the at least one hinge assembly comprises a hingestrap, a pin, at least one bearing, and a hinge butt.
 4. The apparatusof claim 3, wherein the hinge strap comprises a plurality of holes foraccepting a plurality of screws to attach the hinge strap to the deckpanel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the hinge strap comprises anopening configured to receive the pin and the at least one bearing. 6.The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the hinge butt comprises a pluralityof holes to receive a plurality of screws to attach the hinge strap tothe wall.
 7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the hinge butt comprisesa pair of hinge butt holes configured to secure ends of the pin.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1, the locking device comprises an extension arm. 9.The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the extension arm includes a lockhandle configured to manually release the deck panel from the storedposition.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wall is an innersurface of a cargo section of a trailer.
 11. A device to secure a deckpanel to a surface, the device comprising: a plurality of hinges coupledto the deck panel and configured to allow movement of the deck panelbetween a stored position and a work position; and a locking mechanismincluding an extension arm and a hook coupled to the deck panel, theextension arm configured to move the hook to engage to or disengage fromthe surface when the deck panel is moved between the work position andthe stored position.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the surface isan inner surface of a cargo section of a trailer.
 13. The device ofclaim 11, wherein the extension arm includes a lock handle configured tomanually release the deck panel from the stored position.
 14. The deviceof claim 11, wherein each hinge of the plurality of hinges comprises: ahinge strap having an opening, the hinge strap configured to attach tothe deck panel; a hinge butt having a pair of side holes, the hinge buttconfigured to attach to the surface; at least one bearing configured toinsert into the opening of the hinge strap; and a pin configured toinsert into the least one bearing and the opening of the hinge strapthrough the pair of side holes in the hinge butt to secure the hingestrap to the hinge butt.